Iowa Opinions on Food and Drink

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Hiro 88 is a fairly new Asian/sushi bar in the Old Market. There are actually two locations in Omaha, the Old Market location and its original west location at 3655 N. 129th Street. The food runs the range of Asian fusion and modern selections while offering some of the traditional American/Chinese dishes as well. The interior is, as Hiro 88’s webpage says, “hip.” The glass panels, wall treatments and lighting lend an air of sophistication. There is a large bar area that is quite nice looking, a regular dining area and an overflow or reserved seating area to the left of the entrance. Getting inside that entrance takes some work as well. The door is not where you might expect it — under the sign, but on the south side of the building tucked between some railings that enclose a small patio area.
The cocktail and martini selection is varied. I tried the Mai Tai Tini and sampled the Mango Mojito. The Mai Tai Trini was well put together. I’ve always thought that the Mojitos at Hiro 88 are a bit light on the rum, but it was a nice twist on the usual Mojito.
We managed to snag Happy Hour pricing. For appetizers we started with sweet potato fries ($4). They were really, really good. We also tried some fried Gyoza, which are pan-fried chicken & pork dumplings ($4). The rolls that we ordered included a “Husker Roll” which includes a temura beef tenderloin, asparagus, cream cheese and eel sauce ($4.50). It was very tasty. I can’t tell you what the Cucumber Roll tasted like because I refuse to believe that cucumbers are real food. The crab sashimi came in at $7.50 (real crab) and the striped bass sashimi was $5. We fought over the dishes and although I’m no expert when it comes to sushami and sushi rolls, I was pleased.

Even though our party included two who are either allergic or dislike fish and sushi, we were able to build a big platter of sushi with something delicious for everyone. Hiro 88, like many flashy places with great and trendy food, suffers from its popularity. Our Man in Omaha reports that he frequently visits with large parties and that On weekend nights service can be . . . brusque. He also reports that Hiro 88 has one of the best happy-hour deals in Omaha with $5-6 sake bombs that seem endless and can become a very bad idea after two or three.